1. Field
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus having a wireless communication function.
2. Description of the Related Art
Among non-contact IC (integrated circuit) card readers are ones that are equipped with a ten-key unit which is provided in the outer surface of a body and serves for input of a signal through contact and a wireless communication module which is provided inside the body near the ten-key unit and has a wireless communication antenna. Such non-contact IC card readers are associated with the following problem: If a user manipulates the ten-key unit with his or her hand that holds a non-contact IC card, the non-contact IC card goes into the detection region of the antenna and a wireless communication is performed between the non-contact IC card and the wireless communication module with unintended timing, resulting in an erroneous operation. To solve this problem, a technique is disclosed in which wireless communication between the non-contact IC card and the wireless communication module is disabled while the ten-key unit is being manipulated and manipulation of the ten-key unit is disabled while a wireless communication is being performed between the non-contact IC card and the wireless communication module (refer to JP-A-2008-123433, for example).
Also in personal computers etc., a wireless communication module for data transfer and input devices for input of a manipulation signal to the main body may be disposed close to each other. However, if the input devices are controlled by using the above technique to assure a stable wireless communication, all of the plural input devices such as a keyboard and a touch pad are disabled. Therefore, when a data transfer is performed that takes long time, the fact that the personal computer cannot be manipulated at all until completion of the data transfer is inconvenient to the user. Furthermore, where plural data are to be transferred, it is more convenient to enable manipulation of part of the input devices to allow, before a transfer, selection of data to be transferred.
Therefore, to apply the above technique to a personal computer which is equipped with plural input devices, only an input device(s) that may cause an erroneous operation should be disable and the other input device(s) that are free of such a possibility should be enable.